The One Hour Challenge HPFC
This is pretty much crack but I like it. Sort of. Prompt was Draco and crazy cat lady so. Best I could do in an hour
After the war, well. He knows it got out of hand fairly quickly, but loneliness stalks in the night fairly relentlessly and they became all he had.
Daisy jumped up next to him and he smiled faintly at her, reaching to brush his fingers through her fur as he turned the page in his book with his wand. Since he now had no hands, he levitated the book to eye level and left it there. Patting Daisy and Sprite was a bit much alongside a book.
His eyes were drawn to the tabby in the window, clichéd named Stripe because his weary mind was uncreative. He rolled over in the windowsill and fell to the floor. Draco figured he needed a cat hammock.
"Draco, honey?"
Astoria.
"Yes?" he called, guiding Sprite off his lap, much to her displeasure. He nearly stepped on her but that wasn't anything new, really.
He found his wife in the kitchen, staring at the giant orange cat on the stove. Her lips were thinned and her arms were crossed. She glanced over at him before resuming her staring contest with Max.
"These cats, Draco," she murmured, "they are overwhelming this house."
He shrugged helplessly. "They - I - Astoria-"
"I know, hon," she sighed. "But don't you think we should stop collecting them?"
He spread his hands wide. "We live in a mansion, darling. They certainly have enough space."
"Yes, but they don't want it," she retorted, picking Max up under his arms and handing him to Draco, who adjusted automatically to the new weight. "They just invade."
"They're cats," he pointed out. She shook her head.
…
The war had been trying for all of them. And before Astoria, Draco was alone. He had no one. Oh, sure, his parents were there, but… well.
And so sometimes he'd just walk. It cleared his head, to wander along the stone steps of Diagon Alley or in the all-consuming forests near Malfoy mansion.
Stumbling along Daisy had been an accident.
But she had looked as alone as he felt, staring at him with wide eyes. They peered at him from a too-thin face and dull fur and he could feel his heart break. He'd never felt any affection for cats, but then again, he'd also never trusted Potter before so he supposed he could make an exception.
He taken her to the pet shop in London, trusting in the muggles to protect his reputation. The shopkeeper had looked so sad when he saw her, taking her from him and putting a brush in Draco's hands while he cooed at her.
"You said she was in the streets?" the man had asked.
"Starving," Draco agreed, running the brush gently over her side, avoiding her spine. The vertebra looked painful and he didn't want to cause her unnecessary pain. She looked at him.
"Did you want to leave her here?" the man asked next, checking in her ears.
And Draco had considered it. A cat was more responsibility than he knew how to handle. He didn't have a house elf anymore. He didn't want to accidently kill her or anything.
However…
She looked as lonely as he was. And those cages in the back room didn't look inviting.
"No," Draco said, wondering, as he did, what he was signing up for.
But the man nodded approvingly. "Alright, young man. I'll get you a care sheet and some proper food and other things you'll need."
Draco nodded and followed, the cat resting over Draco's shoulder while he walked after the shopkeeper. She was purring the whole time, and for it was the first time since he'd turned sixteen that Draco truly felt at peace. It settled over his heart and he closed his eyes and leaned on her side, the soft humming in his ear like a palm for the pain.
He purchased everything he needed for her and more, leaving the shop that night having spent entirely too much money but he felt like it was actually worth it.
He felt like he'd finally started to redeem himself after everything he'd done.
…
The other cats followed not long after. Draco found Sprite in a storm drain, and Stripe came from the shop in London. Max showed up outside his window in the rain. He took each one in with care and made sure they were healthy.
When Astoria started making herself a more prevalent spot in his life, he had to tell her about the cats. It'd been fairly nerve-wracking, because his parents thought he was crazy and it wasn't like he actually had any friends and he was falling in love with her.
She'd stared at him in bemusement. "You think I'd mind cats? Of all things, Draco, really. I'm just glad you don't have some disease, which is what I thought you were about to admit."
"What? No, of course not," Draco assured. "I'm fine. Fine."
As women are wont to do, she'd given him a steady look. "Okay," she said simply. "Now, are we going inside or not? It's bloody freezing out here, Malfoy, and you are supposed to be a gentleman who doesn't let his lady suffer."
He'd jumped into action, ushering her inside to be greeted by Sprite. Astoria cooed with delight and held her the whole night.
Draco wasn't sure if he was relieved or jealous.
In hindsight, he really shouldn't have been so worried about having cats since plenty of people do, but…
Well. He never plead sanity.
…
When time started to pass and Astoria got sick, Draco spent half his time holding onto Daisy when Scorpius was at Hogwarts and Astoria wanted to be alone. He spent the rest of his time with the other cats.
He cried.
He doesn't know when exactly Astoria died, since she'd requested time and he left her for an hour. He'd gone in to check on her and found her like that. Daisy had been next to Astoria.
Like some sick joke, Daisy was staring at him through wide eyes, the same as she had all those years ago.
But he knew she was old. And he knew she wasn't actually seeing anything anymore.